Muvhundu wa Sinyaire wo tingiwa nga zwikwara. Ṋowa nnzhi dzi dzula ḓakani henefho zwikwarani. Vhathu vha vhidza Ṋowa khulwanesa Unyalego. Ṋowa iyi i ofhisa vhathu vhanzhi ngauri yo vha I tshi kona u mila mbudzi yothe na nngu.
Sinyaire village is surrounded by
hills.
Many snakes live in the forest on
those hills.
The biggest snake was called
Unyalego by the villagers.
This snake scared many people.
It swallowed whole goats and
sheep.
Ḓuvha liṅwe Apiyo, Aioh na Atieno vho vha vha tshi khou ya ḓakani u reḓa khuni. Makhulu wavho vha vha eletshedza uri vha thanyele Unyalego. “Ni songo dzhia tshiṅwe tshithu nga nnḓa ha khuni fhedzi.” Fhedzi Ajoh ha ngo thetshelesa makhulu wawe.
One day, sisters Apiyo, Ajoh and
Atieno were going to the forest to
fetch firewood.
The girls’ grandmother warned,
“Beware of Unyalego the big snake.
Do not take anything from the
forest except the wood.”
Only Ajoh did not pay attention to
her grandmother.
Vhasidzana vha ṱuwa na mafhi, miomva na mirambo na maḓi. Vha dzhia thambo dza u vhofha khuni na mbaḓo i fhiraho ya u rema khuni. Vha mbo ḓi livha ḓakani.
The girls packed milk, bananas,
sweet potatoes and water.
They took ropes for tying firewood
and a sharp machete for chopping
the wood.
Then they left for the forest.
Nḓilani vha haseledza na u sea. Nga u ṱavhanya Apiyo, muhulwane wavho ari, “Fhumulani. Ri khou swika hune Unyalego ya dzula hone.”
On the way, the sisters chatted
and laughed.
Suddenly, Apiyo, the eldest of
them, said, “Be quiet. We are
coming to where Unyalego lives.”
Atieno a vhudza vhaṅwe ari, “Vhonani maṋo a musuku a Unyalego khea. Kha ri a dzhie.” Apiyo a vha humbudza zwe makhulu vha vha kaidza uri vha songo dzhia na tshithihi ḓakanai nga nnḓa ha khuni fhedzi.
Atieno called to the others, “Look,
here are Unyalego’s golden teeth.
Let us take them.”
Apiyo reminded them, “Don’t forget
grandmother’s warning. We must
not take anything from the forest
except firewood.”
Ajoh ari “Thi fhulufheli makhulu. Ndi humbula uri vho sokou ḓi ambela uri ri si thivhela uri ri wane zwine ra ṱoḓa, vha na vivho. Ndi ḓo dzhia maṋo a musuku.” Murathu na mukomana wawe vha vhilaela. “Ajoh ro ni kaidza,” Ajoh a si vhe na ndavha.
U-Ajoh wathi, “Andiyikholelwa mna into ethethwa ngumakhulu. Ndicinga ukuba ubesitsho nje kuba engafuni ukuba sizithathele izinto esizithandayo. Unomona umakhulu. Ndiza kuwathatha mna la mazinyo egolide.” Oodadewabo bakhathazeka kakhulu ngale nto. “Ajoh, uze ungathi khange sikuxelele.” U-Ajoh akazange abahoye.
Ajoh said, “I don’t trust
grandmother. I think she said that
to stop us having what we want. I
want the golden teeth.”
Her sisters were worried. “Ajoh, we
warned you,” they said.
Ajoh did not care.
Unyalego ya bvelela nga tshenetsho tshifhinga u ḓa u ṱoḓa mano ayo. Ya sinyuwa musi i tshi wana uri mano ayo a musuku haho. Zwenezwo ya pfa vhasidzana vha tshi amba na u sea. Ya dzumbama fhasi ha tombo thungo ha ndila ine vhasidza vha ḓo fhira ngayo.
At that moment Unyalego came
looking for his golden teeth. He was
furious when he could not find the
teeth.
Then Unyalego heard the girls
chatting and laughing. He hid under
a rock next to the road where the
girls would pass on their way back.
Vhasidzana vha hwala khuni dzavho. Nga u ṱavhanya vha pfa “Hzzzzzzzz!” Vha ofha vha lingedza u dzumbama. Unyalego yo vha yo vula mulomo woṱhe yo no ḓiimisela u luma.
The sisters were going home
carrying their firewood on their
heads.
Suddenly, they heard “Hzzzzzzzz!”
There was Unyalego with his mouth
wide open, ready to bite. The girls
were terrified.
Unyalego ya vhudzisa vhasidzana, “Ndi nnyi o dzhiaho maṋo anga a musuku?” Vhasidzana vha si fhindule. Ṋowa ya dzudzanya u linga vhasidzana. “A si na mulandu u ḓo kona u imba a sa khakhi. U ḓo ya hayani na khuni dzawe. A re na mulandu u ḓo khakha a tshi imba. U ḓo vha zwiḽiwa zwanga, maḓuvha mararu a ḓaho.”
Unyalego asked the girls, “Who
took my golden teeth?” No one
answered.
The snake decided to test the girls.
“Whoever is innocent, will be able
to sing without mistakes. She will
go home with her firewood.
But the guilty one will sing badly.
She will be my food for the next
three days!”
Apiyo a thoma u imba nga ipfi ḽo ṱambaho. Atieno na ene a imba ulwo luimbo.
Apiyo started to sing with a clear
voice:
“Sio mimi, sio mimi aliye na meno,
Mwenye meno bado yuko nyuma.”
Then Atieno sang the song. She also
sang well.
Mafheleloni ha tevhela Ajoh o tshuwa, a sendela phanḓa a thoma u imba. Ipfi ḽa bva ḽi na vhuaḓa na maipfi o khakheaho. Unyalego ya ṱavha mukosi, “A ni koni u imba zwavhuḓi sa vhala vhaṅwe?” Ṋowa ya mbo di zwi ḓivha uri Ajoh ndi ene o dzhiaho maṋo a musuku.
Lastly, it was Ajoh’s turn. She was
scared. She stepped forward and
started singing. But her singing
sounded terrible and the words
were wrong.
Unyalego shouted, “Can’t you sing
properly like the others?”
The snake knew that Ajoh took his
golden teeth.
Unyalego ya mila Ajoh. Avha vhaṅwe vha shavhela muvhunduni wa havho vha vhudza vhathu zwo iteaho.
Bimbilili! U-Unyalego wamginya u-Ajoh. Oodadewabo babaleka bagoduka bayokuxela esi senzo sibi kangaka esenzekileyo.
Unyalego opened his huge jaws and
swallowed Ajoh.
Her sisters ran back to the village.
They told everyone the story of
what happened.
“I warned her, if only she had
listened,” the girls’ grandmother
said sadly.
